Game-indicator.



R, H. F. VAR-IEL, JR. GAME INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1912. v 1,1 14,945. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

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scribed, shown in the drawing, and. finally ROBERT H. F. VARIEL, JR., OFLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

GAME-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

Application filed-June 12, 1912. Serial No. 703,237.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. F. VARIEL, 1 Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented new and useful Improvements inGame-Indi'cators, of which the following is a specif fication.

This invention relates togame indicators whereby the stages of progressof games between contestants may be indicated.

The invention relates particularly to in- .1 dicat'ors for denoting theprogress of games and successive games of lawn tennis.

The invention has for its object to proi vide improvements in gameindicators of the nature stated which will be superior in point ofrelative simplicity and inexpensivel ness of construction andorganization, clearness and fullness of indication, facility andconvenience in installation and manipulation, positiveness and accuracyin operation and compactness in form; and which will be generallysuperior in efiiciency and serviceability.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel and useful provision, formation, combination, association andrelative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as hereinafterdepointed out in claim.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a front face view of a lawn tennis gameindicator constructed and organized in accordance with the invention;Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken upon the lineufi-w, Fig. 1; and, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken upon theline 00 w Fig. 1, and lookin in the direction of the appended arrows;the showing being given a quarter turn upon the sheet.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring with particularity to the draw- I ing, the game indicatortherein shown com- I prises, with relation to its organization for I thepurpose of indicating the progress of a lawn tennis game, or a series ofsuch games and sets thereof, point indicating means A, I game indicatingmeans B, set indicating means C, and name indicating means D;

all of these means being mounted in or upon and accommodated by a casingE. The game indicating means and the set indi'cat-- ing means arestructurally combined, with respect to the working features thereof,producing compactness of form of parts.

In a preferred form of construction and organization, as shown in thedrawing, the casing E comprises a front member 4: and a rear member 5,each of which consists of a rectangular plate, with a greater width thanheight, such plates being spaced apart at their edge portions by strips6 through which and the plates are passed holding means 7 such as pinsor screws, whereby the plates are detachably connected, inclosing,together with the strips 6, an interior chamber 8 Within which aremounted and chambered a plurality of rotative flat circular disks 9, l0,l1 and 12, of which the disks 9 and 12 are included in the gameindicating means B, and the disks 10 and 11 are included in the pointindicating means. Each of said disks is loosely mounted upon a andeconomy short shaft 13 which is journaled at its ends in the front andrear plates 4 and 5. The ends of the shafts 13 of the disks 9 and 12 areprojected beyond the plates and carry at their forward ends fixedpointers, 14: and 15, included respectively within two set indicatingmeans C; and carrying at their rearward ends finger pieces or handwheels 16 and 17 included respectively in the two set indicating meansC. Each'of the disks 9 and 12 is provided upon its forward face, or uponboth faces if preferred, with anannular marginal series of gameindicating symbols or figures 18 and 19; and each of the disks 10 and 11is provided upon its forward face, or upon both faces if desired, at themarginal portions thereof, with an annular series of point indicatingfigures or symbols 20 and 21. These figures or symbols are arranged tobe displayed through notches 22, 23, 21 and 25 cut into the top portionsof both plates 4 and 5, at the edges thereof, in vertical planes cuttingthe respective shafts 13, and substantially sectorshaped, being ofproper dimensions to display the symbols 18 to 21 as the disks 9 to 12are rotated. Underneath each of the.

notches 22 and 25, the word Games is displayed upon the front plate 4;and under each of the notches 23 and 21 the word Points is displayed.

In order to utilize plates 4 and 5 of minimum width, the disks 9 to 12overlap within the chamber 8 in the casing A. The intermediate shafts 13may be fixed in the plates 1 and 5 if preferred, but the outer shafts.13 must be loose in said plates so that the pointers 14 and 15 may bemanipulated by the hand wheels 16 and 17,. so that said pointers may bemoved to read in connection with set indicating figures or symbols 26,27 and 28 for the pointer 14, and 29, 30 and 31 for the pointer 15.These symbols are displayed upon the plate 4, in segmental series,respectively beneath the outer shafts 13. Beneath each of said series oflast named symbols the word Sets is displayed upon the front plate 4.

A vertical dividing line 32 is produced uponthe front plate,,4,centrally thereof, dividing the face of such late into two portions eachof which is a apted for the indication of points, games and sets, byreason of the organization above set forth; and at each side of saidcentral line 32 is provided the name indicating means D, comprisingdetachable cards, 33 and 34 respectively, held in recesses 35 byoverhanging marginal flanges or stop strips 36 which are omitted at oneend of each of the chambers to permit of ready insertion and withdrawalof the name cards.

The shafts 13 and their disks are readily assembled in connection withthe detachable plates 4 and 5, and the pointers and hand wheels areadded to the respective shafts. The dividing line 32 subdivides thefront plate into two main portions each of which is provided with one ofthe point indicating means, one of the game indicating means, one of theset indicating means and one of the name indicating means. It ismanifest that if desired all of such indicating means may be so formedas to display upon the rear plate 4 the data as to progress of the gamewhich is displayed upon the front plate; but in usual practice thedisplay is made only in part upon the rear plate. Where the indicator isoperated from behind the rear plate, with duplication of the indicatingdata upon the rear plate, in registration with the data upon the frontplate, indication upon the front plate may be conveniently made byreference on the part of the operator merely to the showing on the rearplate.

In displaying the points scored by either player, the disk 10 or 11 isoperated manually at the slot 2-3 or 24 to display the proper symbol 20or 21 through such slot. To indi cate the number of games tallied byeach player, the disk 9 or 12 is similarly manipulated to display theproper symbol 18 or 19 in the proper slot. To indicate the num ber ofsets won by either player the proper pointer 14 or 15 is manipulated bythe proper hand wheel 16 or' 17 to indicate the proper symbol 26 to 31.The proper name card 33 or 34 is inserted in the proper recess 3.5, andthese cards may be duplicated produced and provided in miniature at eachside of the dividing line 32, where doubles are being played. Mountingthe 66 disks 9 and 12 respectively with the same centers as the pointers14 and 15, produces compactness of arrangement of parts and economy ofmaterial.

Oustomarily, the indicator is properly 70 suspended .at the front of ascoreboard, with the dividing line 32 in registration with the net. Theseveral parts and members and indicating symbols and readings are ofsufficient size to be clearly visible by spectators and by those.conductin the contest; and the use of the indicator 0 viates thenecessity of vocally announcing the points as made by either contestant,together with the difliculty in accurately hearing such announcements.

At all stages of the contest the indicator displays clearly the exactrelative standings of the contestants, such continued indication, withrespect to contestants, points, games,

and sets being impossible by vocal means of announcement. All of theadvantages of Visible over audible means of indication are produced inthe use of the invention.

It is manifest that the indicator ma be for individual use byspectators, and may be conveniently carried in the pocket.

The indicator is susceptible of many variations of construction andarrangement of parts and features without departing from the spirit ofthe invention and the terms of the following claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim anddesire to secure byLetters Patent:

A game counter of the character described including spaced plates havingcorresponding finger and display notches in the-edges thereof, one ofsaid plates being/provided with symbols-upon its outer facefshafts extending through the plates and journaled therein, disks loose upon theshafts and having the edge portions thereof projecting into therespective finger and display notches so as to be readily engaged by thefinger for rotating the same, said disks being provided with marginalseries of characters adapted to be successively displayed through thefinger and display notches as the disks are rotated, pointers rigid withthe shafts on one end thereof, and means upon the opposite ends of theshafts for turning the same so that they will cooperate with the beforementioned symbols upon one of the plates.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT H. F. VARIEL, JR. Witnesses:

C. P. WARDEN, RAYMOND I. BLAKESLEE.

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